Apple CEO John Ternus has sparked a discussion on LinkedIn, not because of what his profile says, but because of what it leaves out. Ternus became Apple's CEO on September 1, taking over from Tim Cook after more than 25 years at the company. Yet his LinkedIn profile still lists him as Apple's vice president of hardware engineering rather than CEO.
His profile also offers little detail about his long career at Apple, including his involvement with major products such as the Apple Watch and AirPods.
For someone now leading one of the world's biggest technology companies, Ternus' limited presence on LinkedIn has caught the attention of users who are used to highly polished professional profiles.
What is missing from John Ternus' LinkedIn profile?
John Ternus' LinkedIn page contains relatively little information about his professional journey. It lists his work at Apple, along with a four-year stint as an engineer at Virtual Research Inc.
The profile also mentions his mechanical engineering degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Apart from his profile picture and Apple appearing as a followed interest, there is little additional information.
Most notably, the profile had not been updated to reflect his new position as Apple CEO, even after he took over from Cook on September 1.
Also Read | Apple New CEO John Ternus' Rs 550 Crore Compensation Package Revealed
Apple's internal pages, meanwhile, were updated following the leadership change.
LinkedIn users react
A post highlighting Ternus' profile quickly drew attention to how different it looks from the profiles often recommended by personal branding experts.
One user pointed out that the profile has no fancy headshot, no "visionary leader" headline, no detailed About section describing his 25-year journey and no Featured section showcasing his achievements.
The post also joked about the absence of numerous bullet points explaining how each project had "created impact".
The user then contrasted Ternus' profile with the advice commonly given on LinkedIn, including having a polished headshot, a strong headline and About section, a Featured section highlighting achievements and detailed descriptions of professional accomplishments.
"I guess, the strongest personal brand is still the work you've actually done," the user wrote.
Another LinkedIn user said the example would be uncomfortable for some personal branding experts, but added that there was an important catch.
"He's able to afford a bare profile because the title already does the talking," the user wrote, arguing that the words "Apple CEO" effectively become the About section, Featured post and list of achievements.
"For everyone without that title, the profile is how the work becomes visible in the first place," the user added.
The user concluded that the lesson was not that personal branding is fake, but that professionals should let their work lead while using their profiles to make that work visible.
The discussion highlights a wider debate on LinkedIn about how much professionals should focus on personal branding compared with simply showcasing the work they have actually done.
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